| The Latino Museum Studies Program (LMSP) is a summer fellowship hosted by the Smithsonian Latino Center, in partnership with various Smithsonian museums and centers. The program takes place annually during the months of July and August. LMSP is a professional development program for graduate students interested in museum careers, with a focus on U.S. Latino Studies. Each fellow works closely with a Smithsonian content expert working on a specific project. The Latino Museum Studies Program (LMSP) provides a national forum for graduate students to share, explore and discuss the representation and interpretation of Latino cultures in the context of the American experience. It provides a unique opportunity to meet and engage with Smithsonian professionals, scholars from renowned universities, and with leaders in the museum field. Created in 1994 as Smithsonian Institute for Interpreting and Representing Latino Cultures (SIIRLC), LMSP seeks to increase the representation, documentation, research, knowledge, and interpretation of Latino art, culture, and history. The program focuses on developing museum practice within a framework of Latino cultural studies and is offered in two components. The first component consists of a series of lectures, workshops, and behind-the-scenes tours at the Smithsonian. Curators, researchers, and other museum professionals as well as invited guest lecturers, will lead interactive tours and discussions providing participants a unique opportunity to see and hear first-hand the best practices in museums and cultural centers. The second component consists of a practicum project within a selected Smithsonian museum. Applicants are matched to a practicum based on their background and experience, and how well the project aligns to their future. Who Should Apply If you are a graduate student enrolled or engaged in the fields of Latino art, culture, and history, we encourage you to apply! These include but are not limited to art history, visual arts, digital arts, cultural anthropology, arts management, performing arts, and related studies. You do not have to be Latino to apply. You do have to have an academic focus and interest in Latino Studies. Your focus should be on the U.S. Latino experience. Fluency in English and Spanish is strongly preferred, but not required. Spanish fluency requirement may be needed on specific practicum projects. Please read each project description carefully to verify the language requirements. All programming is conducted in English. If you are enrolled in a masters or doctoral program in the United States, you are eligible to apply. US citizens, permanent residents, and F1 visa holders are encouraged to apply. Application Process The following information applies to the 2020 program. Stipend Information Roundtrip economy air or regional rail transportation from within the United States to Washington, D.C. is provided. Please do not purchase your own travel as you will not be refunded. Fully furnished apartments are provided to enrolled fellows and common spaces are also shared with other members of the cohort. All fellows will have roommates. We are unable to provide individual rooms at this time. Fellows will be provided a modest stipend to offset costs of meals and local transportation. Any violation of the code of conduct will result in forfeit of stipend. For general information, please send an email to [email protected]. Please see the following link for Frequently Asked Questions. | 
